Protests against Trump’s immigration plan rolling in more than 30 cities

Protesters marched, chanted and waved signs across the nation Sunday as angry immigrant advocates pressed their demand for an end to President Trump’s executive order barring citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.

Rallies underway in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Washington, Los Angeles and other cities Sunday drew thousands, part of a groundswell of fury that erupted at airports across the nation Saturday and showed no signs of abating.

“There is such an energy and anger that I have to do something about it,” said Jan Rudzinski, of Arden, Del., as she joined a rally in Philadelphia where signs said “Welcome Muslims”and “Let them in.”

In Washington, thousands gathered and marched outside the White House. In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio joined a rally “for our city’s values” at Battery Park, where Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, called the ban “mean-spirited.” Schumer said Trump’s order only served to “embolden and inspire” terrorists around the world.

Protesters marched, chanted and waved signs across the nation Sunday as angry immigrant advocates pressed their demand for an end to President Trump’s executive order barring citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.

Rallies underway in Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Washington, Los Angeles and other cities Sunday drew thousands, part of a groundswell of fury that erupted at airports across the nation Saturday and showed no signs of abating.

“There is such an energy and anger that I have to do something about it,” said Jan Rudzinski, of Arden, Del., as she joined a rally in Philadelphia where signs said “Welcome Muslims” and “Let them in.”

In Washington, thousands gathered and marched outside the White House. In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio joined a rally “for our city’s values”at Battery Park, where Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, called the ban “mean-spirited.” Schumer said Trump’s order only served to “embolden and inspire” terrorists around the world.

The executive order, signed Friday, suspends entry of all refugees to the U.S. for 120 days, halts admission of refugees from Syria indefinitely and bars entry for three months to residents from the predominantly Muslim countries of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

I'll be joining New Yorkers at Battery Park this afternoon to stand up for our city's values. See you there.

Protesters began swarming major airports Saturday. In Chicago, thousands of demonstrators gathered at O’Hare International Airport. In New York, more than 2,000 at John F. Kennedy Airport chanted “Let them in!” At Los Angeles International Airport, 200 protesters, shouted, “No Trump, No KKK, No fascist USA.”

Federal Judge Ann Donnelly in Brooklyn granted an emergency stay Saturday at the behest of immigration rights lawyers. The judge’s ruling applies to those who have already arrived in the U.S. and those who are in transit who hold valid visas. Judges in Massachusetts and Virginia also ordered halts.

The Department of Homeland Security shrugged off court rulings on Sunday, saying they will have little impact on “overall implementation” of Trump’s order.

“President Trump’s Executive Orders remain in place — prohibited travel will remain prohibited, and the U.S. government retains its right to revoke visas at any time if required for national security or public safety,” DHS said in a statement. It added: “No foreign national in a foreign land, without ties to the United States, has any unfettered right to demand entry into the United States.”

The statement noted that “less than one percent of the more than 325,000 international air travelers who arrive every day were inconvenienced” while enhanced security measures were implemented.

Trump himself reaffirmed his decision Sunday on Twitter: “Our country needs strong borders and extreme vetting, NOW. Look what is happening all over Europe and, indeed, the world – a horrible mess!”

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., lauded Trump’s order as “responsible,” telling USA TODAY that U.S. intelligence agencies need time to “ascertain the scope of the Islamic terror threat in order to develop proper refugee vetting protocols — if possible.”

Other Republicans, however, were less enthused. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., tweeted the executive order “sends signal, intended or not, that US doesn’t want Muslims here- fear it may do more to help terrorist recruitment than improve security.” And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told ABC’s This Week that the courts will decide “whether or not this has gone too far. I don’t what to criticize them for improving vetting. I think we need to be careful. We don’t have religious tests in this country.”

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, one of the groups that sued the federal government in New York, said attorneys are waiting for the Department of Homeland Security to release a list of people who are still being detained under Trump’s order.

“We continue to face Border Patrol non-compliance and chaos at every airport across the country and around the world,” she said.

Our country needs strong borders and extreme vetting, NOW. Look what is happening all over Europe and, indeed, the world – a horrible mess!

Hincapié said lawyers were waiting for the Department of Homeland Security to release a list of people who are still being detained under Trump’s order. Lawyers are standing in arrival terminals of international airports, written in English, Arabic and other languages, offering assistance.

Becca Heller, director of the International Refugee Assistance Project, said a 17-year-old orphan from Afghanistan whose entire family was killed by a land mine in Kabul was not allowed to board his flight to the U.S.

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